{"id":13672,"date":"2026-06-20T12:29:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/human-activities-are-the-no-1-contributors-to-globalizing-plant-pests\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T21:37:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:37:26","slug":"human-activities-are-the-no-1-contributors-to-globalizing-plant-pests","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/human-activities-are-the-no-1-contributors-to-globalizing-plant-pests\/","title":{"rendered":"Human activities are the no. 1 contributors to globalizing plant pests"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"InternationalIf there is anything the deadly COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it is that diseases do not know boundaries and humans are responsible for carrying and spreading diseases from person to person. This is also true for several plant pests. Humans are the leading carriers of the intercontinental spread of plant pests and diseases \u2013 a fact that was established and documented almost 300 years ago. Before you deny and vehemently protest, read on. Do you remember the cassava, yam, sweet potato, plantain or avocado you carried with you the last time you travelled, because, \u201cI do not like those people\u2019s food, it is not delicious!\u201d Or that beautiful flower you brought from your Europe or Africa-wide tour? Well, it could have harboured a pest, which you inadvertently boarded the plane or bus with and helped in spreading. But this story is not to crucify you and make you feel guilty. The purpose of this story is to show you how you can put a stop to the spread of plant pests and diseases. Lava Kumar<\/a>, CGIAR-IITA\u2019s head of Germplasm Health and Virology Unit, says one way to prevent the human spread of plant pests and diseases is to declare plants at border checkpoints. \u201cWhen you are travelling, a quarantine officer usually asks whether you are carrying food or not. You should declare what you are carrying so that it is inspected for pathogens. If it is safe, you will be given the green light to continue, if not, the officer will confiscate it for destruction.\u201d However, you will be excited to know that one can carry processed food since it is usually safe from pathogens. Kumar however advises that the right and better option is to get permission before bringing plants or plant parts. \u201cQuarantine officials will help you through the process of importing your favourite stuff\u201d he added. \u00a0In this video, Kumar explains how humans move plant pests from one place to another, how this can be curtailed, and the international measures being implemented to curb the intercontinental spread of pests and diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests and diseases that are foreign to a country\/continent are called Exotic Introduced Pathogens (EIPs) Below is a list of some EIPs in African countries\/regions in which they were first confirmed. These EIPs have caused devastating losses at country, regional and continental scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n